Chapter 251
Chapter 251
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Ivana Settles In
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Ivana accepted my proposal.
Honestly, after listening to all her various remarks, I'd already figured she would accept it easily.
Ivana was more passive than I'd thought, after all.
For a duke's daughter who would one day lead the Nordal Ducal Family, she really lacked any self-centered thinking.
Of course, that worked in my favor.
"Sip... Hoo..."
"Is it too spicy?"
"I can handle it, and... it tastes good."
"That's a relief, then. Take your time. I still have this much left myself."
"Yes."
Anyway, we didn't jump straight into anything naughty after she accepted my proposal.
Not that I didn't want to do naughty things with Ivana.
But we couldn't just do that right away.
"Karen Older Sister ate this with Ella before. They both loved it. I'm glad you're enjoying it too, Ivana."
"The spicy food we eat up north usually isn't like this."
"True, the north has stronger spice scents, right?"
"Yes, but this pasta... the spiciness from the sauce feels totally different... Hoo."
For now, I let Ivana relax freely, just like the other young ladies, doing whatever she wanted.
Spicy foods that young noble ladies tend to love, super sweet desserts, that sort of thing.
I just let her eat those.
Nothing more than that, for the moment—just slowly chipping away at her psychological walls, without any weird stuff.
Though I did gradually increase the skinship in between.
"If we'd had this for dinner, we could've paired it with some nice wine. Kind of a shame."
"Wine..."
"Oh, do you like alcohol, Ivana? My mother and I enjoy it quite a bit."
"I'm not against it, but I don't drink often."
"Hmm... It's delicious, though. Maybe I'll pull out a good bottle from the mansion for tonight."
"You don't have to..."
"No, I want to, so no need to hold back."
With Rozalin, with Ella... I had gotten them drunk and done bad things.
But this time, I had no intention of doing anything bad to Ivana. I just wanted her to have some alcohol.
Maybe it'd help her think a little more selfishly.
Not that I was completely free of naughty thoughts, of course.
"Sip... Camellia?"
"Yes? What's up?"
"Could I maybe have a drink? It's been... pretty spicy since earlier."
"Pfft... Of course."
After accepting my proposal, Ivana had started making a few requests of me.
Nothing huge, of course.
But up until now, during our time together, she rarely initiated requests or brought things up first.
"Hooo..."
Sometimes she acted in four-dimensional, hard-to-understand ways.
That was part of her charm, and it let me see her purer, kinder sides more than expected.
"Heh heh."
Anyway, her behavior after accepting my proposal felt pretty great.
She started initiating conversations more often, and making requests too.
No way it could feel bad.
"Ivana, any food you're craving for dinner? I'll let the chefs know."
"Um... Something fried, maybe?"
"Of course? Our mansion chefs are super confident in that. Don't worry."
Her making requests like this first was really rare.
I could count them on one hand.
Aside from that first time she brought up the family head succession... yeah.
At the very least, I didn't hate seeing her like this.
If anything, it only looked better to me.
*
For the first few days after Ivana arrived at my mansion, she spent her time comfortably.
But after the proposal, it was even more so.
I let her relax completely, however she wanted.
No more business talk like before—just pure playtime.
Sticking sweet desserts in her mouth whenever she felt like it. Lounging on fluffy cushions, sipping cool drinks.
Just passing the time like that.
"Yawwwn..."
Oh, and by the way, all this was happening in Ivana's room.
In a warmly heated room, under thick blankets, sipping cool drinks.
We were both in thin, comfy sleepwear—the kind you only wear for sleeping or lounging.
Wasting time in flimsy clothes like this was more fun than I'd expected.
Not like my previous life with smartphones or anything.
But even so, lounging in a warm bed in light clothes, reading sensual novels—it was enjoyable.
"How's the novel, Ivana?"
"...It seems like a weird one."
"Pfft heh..."
I'd even recommended some erotic fiction to Ivana, who I'd bet had never read any.
Honestly, she was in her twenties now, an adult.
No issue with her reading it, and frankly, it was way better for killing time than regular novels.
Sensual novels were perfect for that—easy to read, pure time-wasters.
I'd made her try it on purpose.
"I used to only read boring books as a kid, but after graduating the academy, I pick these up when I'm bored. Pretty fun, right?"
"I'm not... sure."
"The language is so much more direct, sticky and intense. The content has real depth, don't you think? Way more entertaining than historical novels or whatever."
"Is it...?"
Her pretending not to know while blushing was adorable.
Even after reading two whole ones, claiming ignorance.
It was such an obvious lie, anyone could see through it.
Her face was red, and she kept fidgeting and crossing her legs.
"Well, you did say this was your first time with these, so I get it. I was shocked at first too, you know?"
"Were you...? You, Camellia?"
"Pfft, of course?"
Lies.
"Shocked" wasn't the right word—more like I got hooked.
Before reading sensual novels, I'd always had to rely purely on imagination, but reading them made it... so much more helpful.
"But once you get into it, they have this unique fun that regular novels don't. Don't you think so, Ivana?"
For a newbie like Ivana, it was better to ease her in like this.
Jumping straight to high-heat talk might make her recoil.
I'd started this whole thing to let her relax, do what she wanted, speak freely.
But I had goals too, so I needed to put in some work.
I was grinding away to seduce her, so a little leading her down a naughty path... well, I could do that, right?
"What do you think?"
"The sentences are just... too direct."
"You don't like that? Nobles usually prefer elegant over blunt. Is that you too, Ivana?"
"It's not that I hate it, it's just so different. So..."
"So?"
"...It's unfamiliar."
Yeah, fair enough.
I got it.
But for someone from the modern world like me, that straightforward, direct style felt way more natural.
Even after studying noble arts and reading all that flowery stuff.
Deep down, the blunt kind was what I was used to.
"And aside from the style, I've heard rumors about women... or noble ladies doing that sort of thing among themselves. But it's still unfamiliar."
"Ah, that part?"
The sensual novels I'd given her were yuri ones.
Lusty romance between a noble lady and her maid?
Something like that.
I'd enjoyed it a few days ago myself, and it was pretty tame, so I'd recommended it on purpose.
"It'd feel unfamiliar, wouldn't it...?"
"I suppose so. I understand."
I phrased it like I knew all about it, but she might not—like I was the expert.
It was true, and it poked at her curiosity too.
"...Do you read these often, Camellia?"
"Pretty much? Perfect for passing time when you're bored. Great for lazy days like this, right? It's been four hours already."
"Time did fly..."
"See?"
It really had flown by.
Reading naughty novels—no, sensual novels—makes time vanish.
"But still... unfamiliar genre."
"Pfft..."
She never outright said she hated it.
Just that it was unfamiliar.
I'd known she was innocent, but seeing that purity even in her tastes was amusing.
"Anyway, hnn... Lying here reading forever is making me sleepy."
She stretched like a cat on the bed.
Hours had passed, after all.
My back was getting sore.
We'd been playing, sure, but staying in bad postures for so long was bound to ache.
"Tired too, yawwwn..."
"......"
"Would it be okay if I napped a bit? You have your book to read, and snacks right here anyway."
So I asked first.
I'd been eyeing it for a while, and I was actually tired.
To let her read her erotic novel in peace, think whatever thoughts freely.
Though I had plans to just lie there eyes closed too.
"If that's what you want, Camellia, I don't really mind..."
Her answer was about what I'd expected.
I wondered what reactions she'd have while I pretended to sleep.
Honestly, I was curious.